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UH Honors College Fundraiser 'The Great Conversation' Turns 20Annual Event Assembling Experts and Scholars for Dinner Discussions Set for March 28

March 20, 2012-Houston-

Twenty years ago, the
University of Houston’s Honors College launched an experiment in connecting the
“town and gown” by hosting insightful dinner dialogues featuring a “who’s who”
of intellectual talents.

Today, the conversation
continues as “The Great Conversation” celebrates its 20th
anniversary. This annual Honors College fundraiser provides Houstonians with an
opportunity to have thoughtful conversations with top scholars and experts over
a gourmet meal. This year’s “Great Conversation” kicks off at 7 p.m., March 28
at the Houston Country Club. All proceeds benefit the Honors College by
providing scholarships and other student support. Chairs for this year’s event
are Deborah Brochstein and Connie Simmons Taylor, an Honors College alumna.

For details on sponsorship
opportunities or seating reservations, visit “The Great Conversation” website
or contact Beth Kungel Borck in the Honors College at 713-743-3220 or bkborck@uh.edu.

Honors College alumna,
and this year’s honoree, Jane Cizik envisioned this event as a vehicle to share
the Honors College’s talents with the Houston community. Each year, the event
brings together faculty members, alumni, friends, donors and students

“An event that blends a seminar with
a dinner party is a perfect way for the Honors College to bring the city and
the university together,” said William Monroe, dean of the Honors College.
“Twenty years and over 500 conversations have changed the way we think of our
role as professors and, in some cases, the direction of our research. We
hope that the community has benefited as much as we have. Our faculty
don't come to the event already knowing the answers…it's not a lecture and it's
not a debate.”

Table topics for “The
Great Conversation” include higher education, art, politics, popular culture, wine,
sports and philosophy. More than 30 members of UH’s faculty and administration
will lead these conversations. For a complete list of conversationalists and
topics, click here.
A sample of this year’s topics and speakers are as follows:

“The Great Conversation continues to
fulfill the hopes and expectations that we had when we conceived the event
twenty years ago,” said Ted Estess, Honors College professor and former dean.
“It does so because the conversations manifest the kind of interactive,
collaborative and enjoyable education that is the hallmark of the college.”

The Honors College at UH
is a hub of excellence that serves the needs of gifted undergraduates in more
than 100 fields of study and reflects the rich diversity of the University of
Houston in its courses, faculty, and students. For more than 50 years, the
Honors College has offered students the best of both worlds: the advantages of
a small college together with the comprehensive resources and rich diversity of
a large university. For more information about the Honors College, visit http://TheHonorsCollege.com.